Perceived Partner Responsiveness Is Associated With Adolescent Sexual Wellbeing Over 1 Year

INTRODUCTION: Research on adolescent sexuality is primarily cross-sectional and often neglects interpersonal factors that may play a key role in promoting their sexual wellbeing, such as perceived partner responsiveness, that is, feeling understood, cared for, and accepted by a partner. The current study examined prospective associations between perceived partner responsiveness and sexual wellbeing (sexual satisfaction, sexual desire/arousal, orgasm difficulties, and sexual distress) among adolescents, as well as gender, sexual orientation, and partner continuity differences therein. METHODS: = 16.44 years old at T2; 56.5% cisgender girls, 42.5% cisgender boys, and 0.6% trans and nonbinary youth) in romantic relationships completed two self-reported surveys 1 year apart. RESULTS: Path analyses revealed that perceived partner responsiveness at baseline was positively associated with sexual satisfaction and desire/arousal 1 year later, but not with orgasm difficulties and sexual distress. Moderation analyses indicated there were no differences in these associations based on gender, sexual orientation or partner continuity. CONCLUSIONS: Findings underscore the importance of feeling understood, cared for, and accepted by a partner in fostering sexual satisfaction and desire/arousal among adolescents, irrespective of their gender and sexual orientation. Perceived partner responsiveness emerges as a key target for educational initiatives on healthy romantic relationships and interventions during adolescents' early intimate experiences.